Virtavia A-4 Skyhawk available

[MenendezDiego]

Absolutely love the A-4! One of the most comfortable cockpits I've ever been in!

The Collins Foundation has one if anyone ever wants to go for a ride! I'll have to pick this baby up soon.

Great work! Diego

[yankeeromeo]

hello FOlks,

really like this jet, would love to have it but how is the VC and the lighting comparing to the Milviz F86 ?
thanks for your comments.

[flaviossa]

Hello mal998, thanks for the info, but maybe i wrote not so clear about the diffcult climb with the bird. In fact i gained altitude in the end but at a tiny rate and low airspeed even with almost 100% thrust (It was my first flight). If i forced it a little more i went in pre-stall (Accufeel worked pretty well in here). I´m sure the ap was not on at the moment. Maybe the problem was the wind at the time, i´ll try again.

Does Virtavia has a dedicated forum for this questions? Or it´s ok to continue posting here? I don´t think it´s a support case (Email), just a conversation about proper operation of the plane :salute:

[mal998]

If I can help to resolve minor issues, I don't have a problem discussing flight modelling here.

Technical issues should be referred to Virtavia.

Don't forget to have a look at the manual.

[skyhawka4m]

Thanks for your help Mal......trust me when I say that I am in no way trying to create a none issue. I have been flying the skyhawk and getting a better feel for it. I just think that you have so closely modeled the real jet that it is just going to take a little time to learn how to handle it. Like the real pilots say...its a stick and rudder jet...not a digital fly by wire jet.

[mal998]

Skyhawk,
Even though she was stick and rudder, this plane is still very agile and requires a light touch on the controls. Pilots reported having to "get use" to centering the stick because the control forces were so light and sensitive.

Here is an excerpt from Budd Davisson's A-4 Pilot's flight report,

"I can't begin to tell anybody how incredibly stupid I felt when I placed my (so I thought) well-trained hand upon the stick and couldn't even hold level flight! Just the pressure of my hand holding the stick sent the airplane into a three-dimensional gyration that probably had Lt. Patton in gales of laughter. Control pressures? There aren't any. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. And the travel of the stick could be measured in micro-something-or-others. I'm here to tell you that no matter what I've flown that was supposed to be sensitive, nothing, absolutely nothing, holds a candle to this thing. It makes a Pitts (and I'm not kidding a bit) look like you need two hands to make it turn."

[JohnC]

I will double check and calibarate my controller. what I mean is.....for example...it seems like on final it is very hard to line up unless you go out on like a 3 mile final, if I don't do that I have to use a load of rudder just to keep it straight.....is that normal for the A-4? I honestly don't know.

It's been a long time since I looked at my A-4 NATOPs (was thinking about modeling one years ago), but if I can remember correctly the directional stability starts to drop off at approach AoA and the nose tends to drift away from center. I'd also wager the A-4 has a pretty serious rudder-roll tendency (1st order, i.e. differential airflow over the h-stab from rudder deflection). Both of those would add up to create a moderate challenge on final. I don't have the Virtavia A-4 (yet), so no idea how that applies to the current offering.

[skyhawka4m]

Sounds good to me guys.....seeing as how much the A-4 means to me and my hobby....I am goign to be doing alot of flying getting used to her!

[fox18delta]

Lots of info here;

http://a4skyhawk.org/

[ST0RM]

Sadly, still not up mcuh anywhere else. I'd like to grab them at PCAviator since it's 10% off Tuesday. Even the Pilotshop doesnt have them posted, but pushing the Razbam Scooters hard for $5

[Barfly]

This is a great rendition of the Skyhawk - the VC is very, very high quality, the exterior looks correct as mentioned before, and it has a great flight feel to it. It does seem to have normal yaw damping at high speed (500 knts) and slightly oddly insufficient yaw damping at around less than 250 knots - it feels a lot like an early Tomcat in that respect. And it could use some aoa based rudder roll also as mentioned previously. Other than those two minor items, it flies great and seems to really represent the type well, as far as I know

[skyhawka4m]

Thanks Barfly.....sounds like you found what I have been seeing.....below 250

[Ian Warren]

I'm loving this so much i have not had the chance to take screens , well i have but to get em posted .. now its time to find my Carrier ! <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><input jscode="leoInternalChangeDone()" onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();} else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">

[StormILM]

Another point about the stability of the A-4 that I learned from one of my books on the Blue Angels is that the A-4 suffered from a bit of asymmetric slat deployment at High G/AoA. The slat deployment wasn't a full "1 in/1 out" asymmetry, but rather uneven back and forth extension/retraction. This would cause a bit of wobble during maneuvering which the pilot had to be cognizant/careful of. The Blues did away with the slats on their A-4F's by bolting them in the closed position to afford better stability for their precision routine. From what I gather, there wasn't much difference or penalty in the low speed/AoA handling without the slats. Of course on a loaded A-4 going on an off a carrier, the slats are a must

[Ian Warren]

Still having so much fun .... landing on USS Enterprise .. can't find my wing fold switch ............... <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><input jscode="leoInternalChangeDone()" onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();} else{setTimeout('jsCall()',500);}" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">

[StormILM]

It's still only available at Simmarket. I prefer FS Pilot shop or PC Aviator. Guess will have to wait a bit before they finally show there.

[Montie]

It's still only available at Simmarket. I prefer FS Pilot shop or PC Aviator. Guess will have to wait a bit before they finally show there.

Yes me too, Simmarket tend to take a little more profit from the purchase than others.

[fsafranek]

It's still only available at Simmarket. I prefer FS Pilot shop or PC Aviator. Guess will have to wait a bit before they finally show there.

Spotted at FS Pilot Shop this morning.
:ernae:

[skyhawka4m]

Yes me too, Simmarket tend to take a little more profit from the purchase than others.

Are they all paid in the same currency?

[Montie]

Are they all paid in the same currency?

No at Simmarket all transactions are done i euro's. But comparing the two, Simmarket takes what equals to 51.35 USD and PilotShop takes 42.50 USD.

[Felixthreeone]

$43 bucks???!!?? Really!!??!!! Gimme a break. Really.

[peter12213]

We've wanted a good Skyhwak model for quite some time and I'm glad to have her and no disrespect intended but this is a tad expensive, 39 Euro for a steam gauge jet is a touch high, comparing to the price of a VRS Hornet is only 7 euros more at is market.

[fallenphoenix1986]

Didn't want to be the first to say it but to be honest I feel the same. To be fair I missed the bit about the functioning radar and had been expecting the usual simplified avionics of older Virtavia/Alpha models. Frankly 39E is in my view too much for whats on offer, FS pilot shop is more reasonable at around 32E, still going to think about it as I only really want the G model.

Craig

[skyhawka4m]

Well being a huge A-4 fan....was worth every penny to me. thank you Virtavia!

[flaviossa]

It´s a bit over priced i agree, but it´s a joy to fly (Had a problem with a underpowered climb, but i think it was the conditions of the flight), a very well done vc with multiple workking systems and a very nice model. Maybe lack of more paints (International ones, like Israel, Argentina,Singapura,Indonesia,Brazil, etc...) I´m very satisfied with this purchase.